The Lemon Grove
Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Romance)
Published by Doubleday (June 3, 2014)
RANDOM HOUSE LLC
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0385538534
E-Book File Size: 1577 KB
ASIN: B00HTMBEO8
Jenn and Greg are enjoying their annual summer getaway to Deia, a village in Majorca off the coast of southern Spain. They are spending lazy days on the beach and afternoon sex in their gorgeous villa.
Everything is wonderful until Emma, Greg teenage daughter, arrives with her boyfriend Nathan. Jenn finds herself immediately drawn to the young man. It is taking all her strength to curb her temptation. Is giving in worth the risk?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was an amazing fast read.
The author has given has four very flawed characters. Jenn is bored with her life and even bored with her vacation to this idyllic place. Greg is keeping a secret and seems to really have a problem with a landlord they have known for years. Emma is fifteen, need I say more. In addition to the usual angst of a 15 year old she really has a problem with her step-mom and the divide divide is growing, leading to a tension between Greg and Jenn. Then there is Nathan. This young man is quite a piece a work. Sadly I really didn’t like any of them but their story is very compelling and I just couldn’t stop reading. Which may be exactly what the author wanted.
She describes the panoramas of Spain beautifully. She painted a picture of an awful storm so clearly I could almost feel the wind and rain. She also tells the sexual parts of the story very graphically so if you are uncomfortable with that this is not the book for you.
The plot had several twists that drew me even further into the story. There were several times I wanted to just jump into the book and shake Jenn and tell her what she was doing was wrong. But it was like watching a scary movie and you cover your eyes so you can’t see the frightening parts but they still happen. The ending surprised me, a shocking twist. Helen Walsh wrote a great story but the ending was masterful.
I think this is a story people really like or absolutely hate. It was not a perfect escape for me but I definitely want to read more books from this author.

I am not giving this book away at this time because both of my daughters want to read it 🙂
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I think I will wait a bit on this one. It will not go on my t-b-r list until I read more reviews.